Burkina Faso President begins four-day visit

JAKARTA (JP): Burkina Faso and Indonesia are examining the possibility of boosting commercial ties between the two countries through counter trade deals.

After a courtesy call by Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore on President Soeharto yesterday afternoon, Indonesian Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told journalists that the possibility of counter trade had been discussed by the two leaders.

"Burkina Faso is a country which produces cotton while Indonesia, on the other hand, is country which produces various textile products," Moerdiono explained,

Cotton is the main export commodity of the west African state of nearly 10 million people.

Compaore arrived yesterday four a four-day visit accompanied by four of his cabinet ministers to further enhance relations with Jakarta.

This morning Compaore is to hold bilateral talks with Soeharto before giving a speech at a luncheon hosted by the Indonesian Camber of Commerce and Industry at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel.

He will also witness a signing of an economic agreement between the two countries by Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and his counterpart Ablasse Quedraogo.

Tomorrow, Compaore will go on to Bandung, West Java, where he will visit the state-owned aircraft manufacturer IPTN, and the Asia-Africa Conference museum before heading off to the resort island of Bali.

He will then leave for Turkey on Thursday to continue the next leg of his overseas tour. (mds)